SHORT FILMS

A man rides a taxi late at night. When the taxi driver offers him chewing gum, the man remembers his mother’s “drugged gum” story and hesitates. The taxi driver then says, “Did you hear about those criminal taxi drivers?” The driver offers the gum again and again, until the man finally accepts. The two strangers talk through the cold night in the city—can they trust each other?

Plays In:

ON THE EDGE

THE TERRORIST HUNTER follows controversial spy Rita Katz, who is lauded by some for her work fighting terrorism, and derided by others for fabricating terrorist plots where none exist. The film places Rita’s tale within the context of the multibillion-dollar counter-terrorism industry, exposing how fear and terror play out in our society.

Raj and his brother, Pops, make up the popular music duo Tigerstyle. Based in Glasgow, the brothers work as DJs and music producers, creating hip-hop bhangra fusion music. While Western music is centered around a partying culture, Tigerstyle aims to promote Sikh values in their music.

Plays In:

LOUD AND PROUD

A troubled man records a video message for his pregnant sister. Drawing its power and immediacy from its first-person confessional style, the film presents the journey of one man's awakening from isolation back to humanity in one continuous seven-minute shot.

Plays In:

CUNY SHORTS

In China, where the family unit is highly valued, over 80% of the approximately 20 million gay men marry straight women to carry on the family name, and to escape social discrimination and parental pressure.
THE WIVES is an intimate portrait of three Chinese women in this situation: Xiaonian is trying to get a divorce, Wang is stuck in her marriage because of her two children, and Delan becomes a gay rights advocate after her husband comes out. Due to the social stigma, divorce is not an easy option for these wives, especially for those who have children. Facing different challenges, the three female protagonists do the best they can for their families, their children, and themselves—but the outcome is not always happy.

Plays In:

LOUD AND PROUD

WORTH is based on true events from 1982 after the Vietnam War, a time of heightened racial tensions between whites and Asians. Pao Lor, a teenage Hmong refugee, begins what seems to be a typical day when he suddenly becomes a target at school and is treated with contempt by his classmates. One day after gym class, Pao gets into a brawl with the high school bullies and is suddenly on the verge of being expelled. At the age of 17, unsure of what to do and tired of being worthless, Pao decides to leave school permanently. However, Mrs. Stoick, Pao’s counselor, refuses to give up on him and arrives suddenly on his doorstep one day.

Plays In:

CUNY SHORTS

After the passing of his grandfather, a Japanese American pre-teen Johnny is relocated to a new school and quickly finds himself alienated because of his appearance. Constantly feeling like a foreigner, Johnny struggles through adversity to discover his own identity and peace of mind.